Cathryn J. Prince

Illustrative: Texas state Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, center, is joined by his sons, David and Whitby, during the Pledge of Allegiance in the House Chamber at the Texas Capitol on the last day of the legislative session in Austin, Texas, May 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

June 10, 2023, 3:32 am

Jewish activists lead charge against inserting religion back into US public schools

With over 1,600 bills nationwide seeking to instill religious values in state educational institutions, advocacy groups protest the ‘crumbling wall’ between church and state

By Cathryn J. Prince

Barbie doll creator Ruth Handler, left, gets a kiss from Kristi Cooke, an actress dressed as a Barbie doll, during the 35th birthday celebration for the doll at FAO Schwarz in New York City on March 9, 1994. (AP Photo/Robert Clark)

June 6, 2023, 3:24 am

Way before icon Barbie got the Hollywood treatment, she was ‘born’ with Jewish roots

From her creation by unconventional entrepreneur Ruth Handler to her inclusivity and ability to adapt with the times, the famous doll bears some trademarks of the Tribe

By Cathryn J. Prince

Clockwise from left: Arthur Szyk, Maimonides, New Canaan,1950, Watercolor and gouache on paper. (Collection of Yeshiva University Museum, gift of Louis Werner); Moses Maimonides' Commentary on the Mishnah, Egypt, after 1168. (The Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford); Guide of the Perplexed, Barcelona, 1347 or 1348, by Moses Maimonides. (The Royal Danish Library, Copenhagen/ all images from the Yeshiva University Museum exhibition 'The Golden Path: Maimonides Across Eight Centuries')

May 23, 2023, 4:00 am

Legacy of 12th-century rabbi, doctor and thinker Moses Maimonides on display in NY

‘The Golden Path: Maimonides Across Eight Centuries,’ a Yeshiva University exhibit, shows the far-reaching impact of one of the Middle Age’s most prolific Torah scholars

By Cathryn J. Prince

Fashion designer and artist Akiva Alpert. (Courtesy)

May 15, 2023, 4:29 am

Neurodivergent fashion designer-to-the-stars wears his Jewish identity on his sleeve

Akiva Alpert got his start battling a controversial Urban Outfitters release by issuing his own Judaic-themed line. Now he works with celebs such as Justin Bieber and Billie Eilish

By Cathryn J. Prince

Jacqueline Kott-Wolle is the artist behind new exhibition 'Growing Up Jewish – Art & Storytelling.' (Courtesy)

May 5, 2023, 2:24 am

In new exhibit, artist shows American Jewish life can’t be painted in broad strokes

Second-generation Holocaust survivor Jacqueline Kott-Wolle grapples with a complex, beautiful and contradictory identity in ‘Growing Up Jewish,’ on show in NY through June

By Cathryn J. Prince

Detail from an 1887 portrait of Rachel Sassoon Beer by Henry Jones Thaddeus. (Private collection. London/ Formerly in the Siegfried Sassoon Collection)

March 9, 2023, 4:12 am

Long overlooked, great women of the Sassoon dynasty get their due in new exhibit

One of the world’s greatest dynasties was also powered by women, whose tales are now told through the family’s magnificent art collection at NYC’s Jewish Museum through August 13

By Cathryn J. Prince

Actor Ryan Reynolds and Anabel Graetz in a scene from 'Free Guy.' (screenshot)

February 10, 2023, 3:37 am

Late-blooming character actor Anabel Graetz talks about finding Hollywood fame at 77

Until she appeared opposite a screaming Ryan Reynolds in 2019’s ‘Free Guy,’ the Jewish entertainer says her talents could seldom pay the bills: ‘It’s nice to peak late in life’

By Cathryn J. Prince

Sheila Katz, CEO of National Council of Jewish Women, speaking at an interfaith rally in front of the Supreme Court on January 18, 2023. (Courtesy of NCJW)

January 22, 2023, 4:41 pm

50 years after Roe v. Wade, fight for choice turns into battle for religious freedom

After a 2022 decision to overturn the longstanding right to abortion, religious women’s groups unite in protesting laws reflecting a Christian-centric view on when life begins

By Cathryn J. Prince

Ronald S. Lauder in his home in 2022. (Shahar Azran/Neue Galerie New York)

December 24, 2022, 6:54 am

A few of his favorite things: Ronald Lauder’s lifelong art collection now on display

500 pieces that make the Jewish philanthropist say ‘Oh my God’ can be seen at a Neue Galerie NY exhibition that replicates how they’re displayed in his own home

By Cathryn J. Prince

An 1806 French print depicting Napoleon Bonaparte emancipating the Jews. (Public domain)

November 8, 2022, 11:29 pm

Opening on Election Day, NYC exhibit traces global history of Jews’ civil rights

‘How Jews Became Citizens’ at NYC’s Center for Jewish History gives access to a trove of ancient documents showing the ever-changing status of local Jewish communities

By Cathryn J. Prince

Ofek Preis and Cassie Blotner of SUNY New Paltz said they have faced antisemitism at the school. (Courtesy: Ofek Preis)

October 24, 2022, 4:36 am

US students report jump in mental scarring from campus antisemitism, but see no end

From a Jewish sexual assault survivor targeted by her support group, to a pupil afraid to wear a Star of David, young Jews say they walk on campuses in fear of hate crimes

By Cathryn J. Prince

Rabbi Matt Abelson, right, makes the blessing over bread with children of the Jericho Jewish Center at Shabbat in the park, 2019. (Leslie Hartman)

August 9, 2022, 9:53 pm

NY synagogue’s looming demise highlights Conservative Judaism’s struggles to survive

The Jericho Jewish Center has aimed to consolidate with a nearby congregation, but years of negotiations over men and women praying together finish with the plan voted down

By Cathryn J. Prince

Rabbi Yosef and Chana Lipsker, fourth an fifth from left, cut the ribbon in front of the new Chabad hospitality center. (Courtesy)

June 17, 2022, 4:52 pm

In the US, some fading Reform and Conservative synagogues go Orthodox to stay afloat

Chabad Hasidic outreach programs reverse decline and bring growth to congregations through a host of programming designed to foster a more traditional community

By Cathryn J. Prince

June 16, 2022, 4:10 am

Can you laugh at that? Comedian Judy Gold on where to draw the line – then cross it

The comic, a proud gay Jewish mom, is moderating a June 16 panel on humor in today’s world where working comedians will weigh in on how they navigate hatred and hypersensitivity

By Cathryn J. Prince

Gertrude Goldhaber in her office in this undated photo. (Gertrude S. Goldhaber Collection, Leo Baeck Institute)

March 27, 2022, 8:34 pm

When women – and Jews – were forced out of sciences, this Nazi-era pioneer persisted

Gertrude Goldhaber fled the Holocaust to become a renowned US researcher and women’s rights activist. Her son is gifting a treasure trove of documents to NYC’s Leo Baeck Institute

By Cathryn J. Prince